Microsoft Word 97/98/2000/2002 Macro backdoor

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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6.0$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Microsoft Word 97/98/2000/2002. Affected is an unknown function of the component Macro Handler. The manipulation leads to backdoor. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2003-0664. The attack may be initiated remotely. There is no available exploit. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Microsoft Word 97/98/2000/2002 (Word Processing Software). This issue affects an unknown code of the component Macro Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a backdoor vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-912. The product contains functionality that is not documented, not part of the specification, and not accessible through an interface or command sequence that is obvious to the product's users or administrators. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

Microsoft Word 2002, 2000, 97, and 98(J) does not properly check certain properties of a document, which allows attackers to bypass the macro security model and automatically execute arbitrary macros via a malicious document.

The weakness was presented 09/03/2003 by Jim Bassett with Practitioners Publishing Company as MS03-035 as confirmed bulletin (Technet). It is possible to read the advisory at microsoft.com. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2003-0664 since 08/07/2003. The attack may be initiated remotely. No form of authentication is needed for a successful exploitation. It demands that the victim is doing some kind of user interaction. The technical details are unknown and an exploit is not publicly available. The attack technique deployed by this issue is T1588.001 according to MITRE ATT&CK.

We expect the 0-day to have been worth approximately $25k-$100k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 11831 (MS03-035: Word Macros may run automatically (827653)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family Windows : Microsoft Bulletins and running in the context l.

Applying the patch MS03-035 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at microsoft.com. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (13784), Tenable (11831), SecurityFocus (BID 8533†), OSVDB (2506†) and Secunia (SA9664†). microsoft.com is providing further details. See VDB-14929 for similar entry. Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 6.3
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 6.0

VulDB Base Score: 6.3
VulDB Temp Score: 6.0
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
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Exploitinginfo

Class: Backdoor
CWE: CWE-912
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 11831
Nessus Name: MS03-035: Word Macros may run automatically (827653)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍
Nessus Context: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
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Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

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0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍

Patch: MS03-035

Timelineinfo

08/07/2003 🔍
09/03/2003 +27 days 🔍
09/03/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/03/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/03/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/03/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/03/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/04/2003 +0 days 🔍
09/04/2003 +0 days 🔍
10/20/2003 +46 days 🔍
10/26/2003 +6 days 🔍
06/26/2019 +5722 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: microsoft.com

Advisory: MS03-035
Researcher: Jim Bassett
Organization: Practitioners Publishing Company
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2003-0664 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2003-0664
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-263

OVAL: 🔍

X-Force: 13784
SecurityFocus: 8533 - Microsoft Word Macro Execution Security Model Bypass Vulnerability
Secunia: 9664 - Microsoft Word/Works Automated Macro Execution Vulnerability, Moderately Critical
OSVDB: 2506 - Microsoft Word/Works Automated Macro Execution
SecuriTeam: securiteam.com
Vulnerability Center: 2664 - [MS03-050] Microsoft Word 97,98(J), 2000 and 2002 Allow Arbitrary Macros Execution via Ma, Medium

Misc.: 🔍
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Entryinfo

Created: 09/04/2003 16:53
Updated: 06/26/2019 12:59
Changes: 09/04/2003 16:53 (91), 06/26/2019 12:59 (2)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216:04A:103

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